1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a detergent composition, particularly to a detergent composition which has excellent detergency against clothing stained with inorganic dirt.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Clothing dirt can be divided mostly into organic dirt and inorganic dirt. The organic dirt consists mainly of sebaceous dirt from the human body in case of clothing such as underwear. A detergent composition comprising a nonionic surfactant has excellent detergency against oily dirt such as sebaceous dirt.
On the other hand, the inorganic dirt consists mainly of mud originated from dust suspended in the air or soil. In general, the clothing dirt is a mixture of organic dirt and inorganic dirt.
Up to the present, various studies have been conducted in order to enhance detergency against inorganic dirt.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open No. 54-39411 and 54-130509 disclose a combined use of certain water soluble cationic surfactants. Japanese Laid-Open No. 51-142489 and 56-150048 disclose a combined use of certain amphoteric surfactants. Japanese Laid-Open No. 53-104582 discloses a combined use of carboxyalkylated alkylether-type anionic surfactants.
However, the detergents mentioned above do not have sufficient detergency against inorganic dirt, especially against mud stuck on socks, etc.
Japanese Laid-Open No. 61-236898 discloses a softening, antistatic detergent composition which comprises nonionic surfactant, mono long-chain alkyl quaternary ammonium salt and sulfo succinamate (sulfo succinic acid amide), and further anionic surfactant as occasion demands.
Though this composition is similar to the composition of the present invention, it does not have sufficient detergency against inorganic dirt.